INDUSTRY ICON
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A mine of innovation OVER A DIVERSE CAREER SPANNING MORE THAN FOUR DECADES, DR HANS PREM HAS DEVELOPED NOVEL ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS COMPLEX PROBLEMS – EVERYTHING FROM MOTORCYCLES TO 500-TONNE OFF-ROAD DUMP TRUCKS USED IN THE MINING INDUSTRY. Upon completing his Mechanical Engineering degree with first class honours at the University of Melbourne in 1979, Hans Prem undertook a PhD at the same University to study vehicle dynamics. With his choice of vehicle being the motorcycle, the focus of his research was to measure, using sophisticated equipment, and better understand the skills necessary to control a motorcycle with the ultimate aim of reducing high accident rates among low-time, inexperienced riders. Early in his career, after taking a research engineer/scientist position with the Australian Road Research Board (ARRB), Hans was given a thorny problem of national significance – the calibration of road roughness measuring equipment and the measurement and analysis of road surface unevenness, otherwise known as pavement rideability. This led him to develop the prototype version of ARRB’s laser-based profilometer which was the solution to the problem. Later versions of the profilometer, which became a flagship ARRB product and global service offering, are today used for surveys of road condition performed at the road-network level. As Research Co-ordinator of Heavy Vehicles and Mining at ARRB, and then Chief Scientist,
Dr Hans Prem.
Hans’ interests continued in the areas of heavy- and multi-combination vehicle
on a new, lightweight, innovative design.
However, with his most recent innovation in
dynamics, infrastructure impacts, dynamics
“I was responsible for every part of the design
fifth wheel technology (see story elsewhere
of vehicle-bridge interaction and safety
and I had to oversee the entire project and
in this issue of Trailer) set to launch soon, it’s
performance.
sign-off on every drawing, from go to whoa,”
likely he will continue to influence the safety
With his comprehensive understanding of
Hans says. “I also gained my first US patent
and productivity of the transport industry for
heavy vehicle dynamics, Hans provided, and
on the rear suspension system we developed
many years to come.
continues to provide, recommendations
which was a novel design and one of the key
for the Performance-Based Standards (PBS)
features of the truck.”
scheme for heavy vehicles.
Hans proudly relates that the finished product
Industry Icon
In the early ‘90s, working in a research role for
was featured on the front cover of Australian
Made possible by Smedley’s Engineers.
a large mining company, Hans was involved
Mining in September 1997 with the headline,
Industry Icon is a series dedicated to
with the design of large off-road dump trucks,
‘The Aussie truck: Made in America’.
honouring the unsung heroes of the
which entailed working in the USA for two
This is just a small snapshot of what Dr Hans
commercial road transport industry.
years with a major mining truck manufacturer
Prem has achieved during his illustrious career.
66
Trailer Magazine OCTOBER 21
